Remedy
by christmasinacup
Summary: Set after 11x01. Mulder takes care of Scully. Fluff.


_Well, that season premiere was dreadful. Here's some fluff to cheer us all up. Slightly inspired by "Remedy" by Adele because 25 is the ultimate MSR album._

* * *

What an asshole," Mulder mumbled, shaking from rage. He sat back down beside Scully in the hospital hallway, glaring at Skinner's retreating back.

Scully sighed. She had a strange sense of newfound peace about her, now that she could feel William. She didn't know what possessed her, but her mind finally felt clear. Her head, on the other hand, hurt like a bitch. She groaned and rubbed her temples.

Mulder put his hand on her shoulder gently. "Hey."

She looked into his eyes. They were dark and stormy, full of pain.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Let's get you home," he said. She nodded and stood up slowly, her face still red in splotches from the lack of blood flow to her face earlier. He followed, ever the obedient puppy.

"Would you…" she paused, turning to look at him. She had to tilt her head up quite a bit to see into his eyes, standing there in her hospital slippers. "Would you maybe stay with me tonight?"

He smiled softly. "Yes. But actually, you're staying with me."

Her stomach did a flip. In her vision, she'd showed to his house and it had been a wreck.

"Scully, it's much safer. They could be watching you." He said it firmly, but quietly. She shook her head.

"It's not… I don't… That's fine, thank you."

 _It's not that I don't want to come back to our house,_ she thought. _It's that I'm scared of what I saw last time I was there._ She didn't want to dwell, so she smiled at him, hoping he would know that her hesitance wasn't because of him.

She made her way over the hospital bed and picked up her bag of clothes. They were ripped and had some blood on them, but they would have to do for now. She sat on the bed, not quite ready to get dressed yet. Mulder sat beside her and kissed her hair. For a few minutes, they just sat in silence.

Finally, Scully spoke up.

"None of this is your fault," she said to him, putting her hand on his thigh. He covered her tiny hand with his much larger one, a surpassed look on his face.

"You were talking to yourself yesterday," she said lovingly. "You need to stop blaming yourself, Fox."

She caught him off guard with the use of his first name. He sighed and pulled her in for a hug, rubbing her back. He could feel her smooth skin at the gaps of her hospital gown.

"I've seen you in a hospital bed too many times," he whispered, his eyes prickling with tears. "The world has been so cruel to you and it rips me apart."

She sniffled and drew back and he saw a few tears escape her eyes. Her hand cupped his cheek and she shook her head.

"But you have never been cruel to me," she whispered. "Maybe a bit of a jerk at times, and definitely dismissive when we first met, but never cruel."

He chuckled and she wiped his tears. He did the same for her and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"That's fair," he said. He stood up.

"I'll give you some privacy to change and then we'll go home," he said. She nodded and he closed the curtain around her bed. He sat himself in a chair a few feet away, not ready to let her out of his sight any time soon. He took a deep breath, exhaling the pain and and anger at Skinner and the worry. He has been frustrated at her earlier for leaving the hospital, but it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that he got there in time.

Scully emerged from the curtained-off area and looked at him sheepishly. There were a few spots of blood on her clothing and the shoulder of her blazer was ripped, but it could be worse. The only shoes she had were the heels she'd been wearing, so she walked very slowly.

"Um.. you'll need to drive."

He stood up and held out his hand for her to take. She gladly accepted it.

"That's okay," he said. "Let's go home."

Mulder pulled up to the unremarkable house and looked over at Scully. She looked a little troubled, but he didn't want to pry. He got out and opened her door for her, guiding her down to the dirt path. More silence as they walked up the porch steps. He swung the front door open and felt Scully flinch.

"What?," he asked, turning to her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she said softly. "I just… In my vision, I came here looking for you and the place was a mess. It looked like there had been a fight."

He frowned. "I'm fine," he assured her. "This place is still safe, as far as I know."

She stepped through the front door and surveyed the living room. It looked the same as always. Last time she'd been here, they'd taken a stroll around the property while Mulder played her his new favorite band. Then they ate a frozen pizza for dinner and made love for hours. She smiled at the memory. Mulder's hands in her hair, her nipping at his neck.

"So, I think you still have some clothes here," Mulder said, walking past her and dropping his keys on the dining table. "Let me go check upstairs."

She snapped out of her reverie.

"I'll come with you."

They walked up the stairs to the bedroom, each step creaking a bit. She remembered how it used to bother her, but Mulder said it gave the house "personality" and she grew used to it.

Sure enough, her sweatpants and hoodie were still in the bottom left drawer. Mulder handed them to her.

"I'll be downstairs," he said. "I'm gonna make tea. Are you hungry?"

She nodded. "A little."

"Okay. I'll make something."

After he left, she looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't the first time her reflection has been riddled with cuts and bruises, but it had been a while. She stepped out of her heels, slipped her clothes off and laid them on the bed. She examined her body and found a few large, ugly-colored bruises.

After pulling on the sweatpants, she rummaged through the drawers until she found Mulder's Knicks sweatshirt. Lifting it to her nose, she was happy to find that it smelled the same. Sunflower seeds and leather. She liked it better than her own hoodie, by far.

When she arrived downstairs, two mugs of herbal tea were sitting on the coffee table, along with a plate that held a PB&J sandwich. She sat down on the couch, settling into the comfortable leather. Mulder emerged from the kitchen in jeans and a t-shirt. He'd probably changed in the laundry room, and into clothes straight from the dryer. She could smell the detergent as he got closer.

He smiled. "Nice sweatshirt."

She bit into the PB&J and shrugged. "It's comfier."

"All yours," he said, sitting beside her and taking a sip of tea.

"Scully, that man…"

She cut him off. "Mulder, I'm fine. You saved me. Thank you, by the way."

He waved his hand.

"No problem."

She set the sandwich back down and cuddled up beside him. She could feel tension in his whole body.

"Mulder, please relax. I'm okay," she said. He wrapped an arm around her.

"I should've stayed in the hospital and protected you."

She sighed. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I'm gonna find out who sent that man - well, I think I already know - and when I do…"

She looked up at him.

" _We'll_ find them. Together. Now that I know how it begins, we can do something. We just have to wait for William, and he will help us uncover the truth."

Mulder sighed and stroked her hair.

"The truth gets more and more confusing every day," he said sadly. "Do you really think William will come for us?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm sure of it. He will."

"Until he does, we stay together, okay?," Mulder asked her. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

She nodded. After what she'd seen, she didn't want to let go of him either.

"There is one truth I know," she whispered. "We can fight this."

"Dana," he said, searching her eyes. He didn't know if this was the right time, but he couldn't stay silent anymore.

"We will find out what the Syndicate it up to. But for now, all I need is you. Your love is my truth, Dana. I will always love you."

She smiled softly and leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips.

"I love you too," she said, resting her forehead against his. She needed him, now and forever, and she was sick of fighting that. They should be fighting together, not apart.

He kissed her again, with more passion, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. When they came up for air, she settled into his lap and listened to his heartbeat. They didn't speak, just sat on the couch, thankful the other was alive and safe.


End file.
